diy wednesdays: laptop cozy

Recently we’ve been on the hunt for a laptop sleeve. Nothing fancy, just a simple way to protect our MacBook on its journeys around town. The quickest, easiest, and cheapest solution we could come up with was to make a no-sew Maloo-esque “wrap” out of colored felt and Velcro dots. Now our little laptop is snug as a bug in a rug! Click here for the full instructions and more photos or just click “read more” below.

1. Place laptop in center of one piece of felt. Cut out corners to create a cross shape, with the laptop in the center. Trim down the flaps so they overlap by 1-2″ when folded over.

2. Place cut piece on top of other felt piece and use it as a template to cut out the same shape.

3. Cut out Stitch-Witchery in same shape.

4. Create a sandwich with the two colors of felt, with the Stitch-Witchery in the middle. Press with a hot iron until fused.

5. Even up the edges all the way around by cutting off any excess with scissors.

6. Place laptop in center of cross and fold over flaps. Adhere sticky dots where edges overlap.

7. There are lots of different ways to customize the cozy by cutting fun shapes out of the outer piece of felt. We decided to keep it super simple and just cut a scallop shape along the edge of the outer fold.

We’ve only been using ours for a couple days, and so far it’s holding up well. The two layers of felt is key. You could even add a third layer or could reinforce the edges with a line of machine stitching for extra sturdiness!

this is terrific! I’m loving the grey wool felt laptop sleeve I got from Working Class Heroes on etsy, but now I’m thinking I need to try your project, too – ugh, does my laptop really need different outfits?! :)

Hmm, I might have to try this DIY project too. My laptop spends an awful lot of time in my backpack, and its sleek white surface is becoming noticeably less pretty. This seems like the perfect solution. Thanks!

such a nice proyect to do !! now i regret buying that wrap for my laptop that i got at walt mart, anyway im doing it anyway.
A question does anybody knows a place where i can get some cool silver rings? cause im graduating from college in may and me and my friends want a diferent generation ring so if anybody knows something about that please let me know!

So many craft and DIY based projects are inspired well known designs and products. If you’re going to take issue with this than you’ll probably need to look at lots of DIY projects online and in books that are inspired by famous fashion designers, textile designers and other design icons.

For me, it comes down to whether or not someone is selling this for profit (which it doesn’t seem is happening).

What? Are you guys reading my mind? I was just flipping through my Blueprint back issues (sniffle,sob I miss it already), like five minutes ago, and saw that Maloo laptop cover and thought to myself “oooooooh pretty – but you know, I bet I could make that myself” and here you are with the instructions. Ok, since you’re taking suggestions directly from my brain, next I’d like to see a inexpensive way to create cute pouffes for additional seating in my living room. But you already knew that, didn’t you?

I feel very strongly that if you are making a version of something yourself, for yourself, with your own hands, that that is not knocking off a design. However, if you are selling someone else’s design, that is a knockoff. There is a difference.

Hi Jenny & Robin — you guys are right — nobody is making any money selling these… If people want to figure it out themselves and make it, that’s great. I’m really not trying to be a negative-nancy here – I’m just not into the idea of providing a how-to make your favorite copycat design item tutorial.

I’m sure it’s just me, but I would be curious how Maloo would feel about it…. maybe they would find it inspiring that so many people admire their design but are unwilling to buy it, who knows!?

I don’t have a laptop but I would like to try some other projects involving thick heavy duty felt. I too would loooove a resource list for good felt in the NYC area. I’ve been searching for felt for a few months now and have only come across a couple of online shops.

This is a nice project that anyone could modify to make it original. I have been looking for thick, industrial felt to purchase and have come up pretty dry. If ANYONE out there knows where to buy good felt, please please please post here!

Also, I have to agree with chic_geek! I don’t think it is nice to “copy” other people’s work and distribute it all over the internet. In my opinion the DIY section should be reserved for original design ideas presented by designers that are willingly distributing their patterns.

i just bought felt tonight at joann fabrics,..ended up buying the 100% wool felt. It was more expensive but better quality. Going to make my cozy tonight,…I can’t wait!! I’m sure I’ll be making a post on my site about my adventures!! Thanks for sharing this!!

I tried this yesterday with great success! I shopped at JoAnn’s outside Philly and, in the interest of cost efficiency, compromised and used a wool-blend felt instead of 100% wool. To add a little extra heft, I used fusible quilt batting between the felt layers (but still used Stitch-Witchery tape to secure the edges). Thanks for the how-to!

Hi just browsing through the comments…source for felt in the NYC area, Purl has a great selection and it is avaliable on-line as well. Also any quilting shop that sells quilters fabric usually sell decent quality felt. Bribe someone who can knit, get them to make you simple double-knit squares and then felt it yourself. Hope these help.

HOLD ON FOLKS!! FELT? LINT? As a systems analyst working with computer hardware for over 10 years, small particles of dust, lint, dirt, will cling to the felt and possibly get inside the laptop fan unit. – This is why computer bags are made of leather, vinyl, etc.

just a reminder guys- no personal comments or attacks toward other posters. my email to john above is bouncing back so i just wanted to give a little warning. even if comments are meant jokingly or sarcastically i want everyone to feel comfortable talking here- not like they’re going to get made fun of for their opionion.

Brian’s got a valid point. My son crafted a bag out of industrial wool felt for a camera he built and lint is a big problem. If anyone knows of a stabilizer that could be applied to solve this problem, please advise.

This looks very handy! I have a big backpack-style laptop bag, but I’d like to be able to carry my laptop around in a regular messenger bag for daily use.

As for the lint issue, maybe lining it with a thin layer of smooth cotton would prevent lint buildup on the inside? It would require some hemming and make the project a bit more involved, but it would make a protective layer between the felt and the fan.

I’m enormously uncrafty: forgive me if the following are impossible…. For the felt-engenders-lint problem, I was wondering whether using a neoprene layer would help, while also providing waterproofing and more cushion. If neoprene is hard to find (or just hard to attach), what about fake suede?

Being a 15+ year IT guy and seeing alot of people over heat their Laptops by using them on surfaces that do not allow proper air flow, I felt compelled to warn that running your very expensive Mac Notebook on a thick felt surface may cause damage to your computer. Please see the link to Apple support site I have included about proper working surface.
“et up your portable on a stable work surface that allows for adequate air circulation under and around the computer. Do not operate your portable on a pillow or other soft material, as the material can block the airflow vents. ”

I just finished making mine and I looove it! I didn’t need anything terribly durable, as I usually stick my laptop in my bag anyways, but I wanted something to protect it from spiral wires, keys, etc. so I just bought your run-of-the-mill felt (yellow & charcoal, matches my yellow & black laptop wonderfully!) at $4.99/yd (3/4 of a yd came to $3.74). Then I used Steam-A-Seam 2 double stick fusible web to adhere the felt. It came in a package of five 9″x12″ sheets and it worked perfectly–one for each flap and one for the bottom! The package cost $3.99. And then my velco dots cost $1.49. Sooo, in case anyone was wondering about a price range, this project cost me a total of $13.67.

Great Idea! I was wondering if you could use a fusible web that you buy by the length (like cloth) and fuse the fabrics together first before cutting. I also gave thought to the lint problem but thought I would try the lightest weight cotton I could find against the pc. This is a blast and I think it would be great for a teen group.

Inspired by your post I made one for my boyfriend’s birthday – for his eeePC. I modified the shape a bit so that the edges are protected, too. And I sewed on a selfmade application to make it a little more personal :-)
Here are some pics if someone is interested: http://www.protectorange-craft.de/?p=50

The grey looks great with the orange doesn’t it!! And the sweet edging. It has a fun retro feel to it. I had a similar idea for a mothers day present as i don’t have much sewing experience. It is great for someone constantly in a hurry. I put a bit of elastic over mine just to make sure the felt doesn’t come open if it gets caught moving around. I wouldn’t sit the laptop on the felt when in use, but i’m certainly no expert.
I hadn’t even heard of Maloo before seeing this post. I would like to ask everyone, what hasn’t been done before? In so many of these DIY posts there are people claiming that they are ‘copies’ of someone elses designs. It is great to point out that someone else has a ‘similar’ design and put a link in but the anger is unneccessary, so many of these people probably had no idea that the other versions existed and certainly didn’t mean to ‘copy’ them.
I keep coming up with what i think are original ideas and later on almost always I find that something similar or identical has been done before or since by someone who couldn’t possibly know me and i certainly hadn’t heard of them. Could someone tell me where do I find out if someone has already come up with an idea before you can sell it?
There are just too many wonderfully creative people in this world, and i definately don’t think it’s a bad thing! Keep up the DIY! I love seeing the amazing things that people make and i always read people’s comments to see what new applications people have thought of!
To Orange,
I loved your new take on the shape, it looks like it would protect the corners better.
Nice work girls!

I just made a slip cover based on these directions. I didn’t want the felt on inside or outside. I bought cotton fabric and covered it on both sides. The fusion webbing works for that too. It now looks a lot more finished and has a nice texture. It also allowed me to utilize designs instead of a plain felt look. Thanks for posting this! Fantastic idea!

This is really a brilliant idea, i just made one for my vaio… i got carried away with decorating the front.
It’s really great because my laptop bag’s zipper would just keep hitting and scratching the corners. Thanx!

As BEAUTIFUL as this sleeve is, and i was very keen to make one myself, the comment “small particles of dust, lint, dirt, will cling to the felt and possibly get inside the laptop fan unit. – This is why computer bags are made of leather, vinyl, etc.”
is all true.

We’ll just have to choose if we want a protector that actually kind of damages our beloved machines.

I have been looking for a tutorial about a sleeve for my IPAD and I just found it here. I can make a smaller version of the sleeve for my other gadgets too. Thanks so much for the idea. This site is a gem!

I made this today! And all of my friends are jealous, because it’s super-cute, and not ridiculously expensive like all of their cases! Mine isn’t as polished looking as yours is, I’m just getting into DIY stuff. But it was a really fun project to start my school year off right. Thanks for the wonderful idea.
(I did mine in charcoal and deep teal, so pretty!)

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